Grove`s Theater Seeks Premieres

March 21, 1986|Staff reports

The Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami is hoping for two possible world premiere scripts for its 1986-87 season beginning Oct. 21, including a musical theater version of the movie Fame plus a new play by Edward Albee.

Those shows would be the anchors of producing artistic director Arnold Mittelman`s plans to shift the theater`s artistic strategy without blunting the commercial growth that has taken place during the current lineup.

A star policy, for instance, will continue where possible. E.G. Marshall and Barbara Barrie are expected to lead a revival of Arthur Miller`s The Price, although no deals have been made yet. Fame H.S. will follow, an ``entirely new story`` based on the movie.

Joe Orton`s comedy What The Butler Saw is planned for its second Miami revival in as many years. It was done recently by the Miami Repertory Co., and will join the Grove lineup sometime next January. Next, off-Broadway`s musical Nunsense will be directed by Daniel Coggin, who did the New York version.

Swallows, a tale of eight Cuban families` recollections of the Castro revolution, is the fifth show. Mittelman hopes to close the season with a new Albee drama that the playwright plans to write this summer.

Also next season, plans are to turn over the recently reopened off-lobby lounge into a cabaret for the musical revue Coconuts.